Falcons Drive For Lax Title No. 10 Begins

A season-opening matchup between the reigning 3A and 4A champions lived up to the hype and gave Severna Park a valuable lesson.

The Falcons had two-time defending 4A champ Urbana on the ropes in the season opener, but they let the Hawks off the hook as Urbana rallied from down three goals to tie it in the final minute and win it in overtime, 8-7.

After that, though, Severna Park ripped off four straight wins and exited spring break at 4-2. The Falcons topped Glenelg 16-6 and Crofton 11-2, before beating a pair of Virginia schools in a spring break challenge. They topped Battlefield 11-2 and James W. Robinson 6-2, before succumbing to Severn School 11-8 to wrap the break.

The Falcons graduated a stable of talent, but the pipeline is never barren. They return key scorers Ben Ruppert and Tyler Lawhorne, as well as attacker Landon Williams, midfielders Duke Sealey, Dash Havens, Colin Whitacre and Will Mazcko, and defenders Joey Viskocil.

In total, the Falcons have 15 players committed to college programs, including 13 seniors. Mazcko is headed to Utah; Sealey and Whitacre to Salisbury; Williams, Lawhorne, Viskocil and Brayden Arnold to York; and junior defender Lincoln Fox is committed to UMBC. Ben Dryer is off to Hampden-Sydney, Davis Bates to Stevenson, Sean Burkhardt to Rhodes, Ben Kreis to Roanoke, Connor Rayburn to McDaniel, and Josiah Renzo to Montevallo, while junior Brayden Cox is committed to St. Mary’s College.

Severna Park’s next test came against Marriotts Ridge on April 8, and the Falcons welcome Broadneck on April 14.